Flash! Rutgers Men’s Swimming In Jeopardy

PISCATAWAY, N.J., July 14. ACCORDING to an official release by the Rutgers University Board of Governors, Rutgers University will be eliminating men's swimming and diving after the 2006-07 season. The decision came in the wake of $52.4 million in spending cuts to programs, staff and services that will affect virtually all academic and administrative operations at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. The board approved the university’s 2006-07 spending plan in the wake of the recently adopted state budget, which significantly reduced funding for higher education and left Rutgers with an unprecedented shortfall of $80.4 million.

A statement released today states the following:

"Six intercollegiate sports – men’s heavyweight crew, men’s lightweight crew, men’s fencing, women’s fencing, men’s swimming and diving, and men’s tennis – will be phased out after their 2006-07 seasons. The university will honor scholarship commitments for student-athletes who compete in these sports and currently receive athletic scholarship funding."

Established in 1766, Rutgers is America’s eighth oldest institution of higher learning and one of the nation’s premier public research universities. Serving more than 50,000 students on campuses in Camden, Newark and New Brunswick/Piscataway, Rutgers offers more than 280 bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral and professional degree programs.

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